Inuit
noun
Note: In Canada, the name Inuit refers to one of three major, legally recognized groups of aboriginal peoples, the other two being the First Nations and the Métis.
see also inuk
Usage of Eskimo and Inuit
Eskimo is a word that presents challenges for anyone who is concerned about avoiding the use of offensive language. Its offensiveness stems partly from a now-discredited belief that it was originally a pejorative term meaning "eater of raw flesh," but perhaps more significantly from its being a word imposed on aboriginal peoples by outsiders. It has long been considered a word to be avoided in Canada, where native people refer to themselves as Inuit, a word that means "people" in their language. But not all the native people who are referred to as Eskimos are Inuit. Eskimo has no exact synonym; it has a general meaning that encompasses a number of indigenous peoples, and it continues for now in widespread use in many parts of the English-speaking world.
Examples of Inuit in a Sentence
Joe Yogerst, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
The technology has certainly come a long way from when Inuit hunter-gatherers used to wear caribou antlers carved with thin slits in order to prevent snow blindness.
—Todd Plummer, Robb Report, 21 Feb. 2025
In the 1960s and 70s, doctors placed IUD contraceptives in young Inuit girls without their or their parents’ consent as a means of population control.
—Donie O'Sullivan, CNN, 9 Feb. 2025
The government of Nunavut, a territory in northern Canada that speaks a variety of endangered Native Inuit languages, has already signed up for the program as a partner, TechCrunch says.
—Will McCurdy, PCMAG, 8 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Inuit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Inuit. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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Inuit
noun
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